Hojo's Demon
by PolnocnyLiska
Summary: Professor Hojo Okokou comes across a Demon and is forced to admit that they do indeed exsist. R&R (Contains yaoi.)
1. Part One: Demons?

(Chapter 1.)  
  
It was dark . and it was damp.  
  
Not often was it this wet outside, especially during this time of night. It hadn't rained . so why was it so wet? So cold.  
  
It was late fall, and Merion Rybald was standing outside his house, on his porch. He had his hands in the pockets of his jacket, holding it close to his body. The somewhat young looking boy's lips were light blue, and his teeth were chattering together. November was not the greatest of months to be outside around two in the morning, gazing at the town below.  
  
Merion was just gazing out across the sea of rooftops, since his home was high enough up on the mountain that he could easily see the homes of those below, his beautifully shaped crimson eyes distant and glassy. He had spent many nights staring down at the town, sleepless, restless . thinking about what it would be like to be close to someone. But he knew, he knew that no one would want to be with him, or near him. He lived in a mansion made of stone, a pseudo-gothic century castle. It had belonged to his family for decades, but a few years ago the rest of them just left.  
  
They left Merion alone.  
  
It had been rumored that Demons lived in the castle on the hill, so his family packed up and left. They never even told him, they just went away.  
  
Merion sighed, deeply. He was short, only around five foot four, and he was feminine. A Demon he was, but not only that. What he was made his body womanly, with expansive hips and a small waistline; He was most definitely male though. He kept his raven hair long, and at the moment the gentle winds were whisking the black lochs around his pale, soft face.  
  
Then he heard something. Turning to look over at the trees, Merion let his gaze drift over the dark forest, wondering what made that sound. There was rustling in the bushes. The boy rolled his eyes, Just an animal, then looked back towards the town.  
  
It's so cold. Merion bit his bottom lip, then hugged his jacket closer to his body. He stood there for a few moments longer, the sound in the bush blocked out of his mind. It was late, he should sleep. Turning around, Merion caught a glimpse of something metal in the bushes--he paused.  
  
It was only a few moments later that he felt a pain in the back of his shoulder, then the contact made between his body and the stone of his porch. Someone was walking closer, their footsteps on the leaf-covered ground becoming louder every moment. Merion groaned, trying to sit up, but he could barely focus his eyes.  
  
A hand was rested on Merion's back, then a voice soothingly said, "You are the Demon." and that was the last thing Merion heard before he blacked out.  
  
~  
  
"Professor . I brought something you might want to see." It was that same voice, the one from before. Merion tried to open his eyes, to see whom it was, to see where he was.  
  
"Hmmn." Hojo Okokou stood there, still, hands neatly folded behind his back. It was obvious that he was listening, but not interested in what this man had to say to him, or what he had to show him. His black hair was held back, not quite as neat as it could be, and his rounded glasses were slowly sliding down the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Professor, please. I brought you the Demon. The one who lives in the castle near Nibelheim, you know." There was a long pause, during which Hojo and the other stayed silent, staring at one another. The quiet of the room was making Merion feel uncomfortable, as if he was being stared at, like he had to say something. Still though, he couldn't even open his eyes; All he could do was listen.  
  
"Demon?" It was a new voice to Merion, Hojo's voice. "There are no such things. They were simply made up to frighten people into obeying 'God.'" He turned away, thrusting his hands into his pockets. "I have no time for this bullshit, so if you would so kindly leave, it would be much obliged."  
  
"But, sir. If only you would run a simple test, it would prove that he was what people call a Demon. It would take but--"  
  
"No," Hojo cut in, "I won't run any tests to see what the person is, but you could leave it here to be used as a guinea pig." Once again, the scientist looked back to the man who brought the supposed Demon, his eyes cold and showing boredom.  
  
"Professor. This is a Demon. He is dangerous, and if I could, I would bring the rest of his . family, I would suppose they were, but they abandoned their home once the rumor of Demons was spread. I do have sufficient evidence that it in fact is a Demon!"  
  
Merion left out a pained groan, his eyes opening slightly. It was bright where he was, and slightly colder than he wished for it to be. Shivering, the boy rolled onto his side, soon to realize that he was in what could be considered a cage.  
  
"Whatever it is, it's awake." Hojo stated bluntly, walking over to the cage. "I don't care if you say it is a Demon, just get out of my home." A glare was aimed towards the man, before he looked back down at the nude form in the cage. "Leave it here."  
  
With not another word, the Demon captor turned and left, leaving Merion to whatever the professor had in store for him. 


	2. Part Two: What was in store?

(Chapter 2.)  
  
With a loud gasp, Merion's eyes shot open, a feral look glazing over the blood red orbs.  
  
"You're awake." Simple as that, Hojo ceased to apply pressure to the boy's neck with the scalpel he held. A small line of blood formed, but then the skin sealed as calmness returned to the Demon's eyes. "I'd like to ask you a few questions."  
  
Sitting up, Merion rubbed his neck gently before turning his head to stare at the black-haired man before him. "Alright."  
  
Red eyes, ability to speak. "First of all, do you have a name?" The scientist slowly walked over to his desk, where he took a seat in his chair. He continued to stare at the one in the cage though, just asking shit questions at the moment to see how well the other could speak.  
  
"My name is Merion Alois Rybald." The boy stated as he curled his legs together and folded his hands in his lap. That was to conceal his nudity as best he could, since he was in the presence of someone he did not know.  
  
"Good." Hojo picked up a notepad from his desk, then a pen and jotted down a few things, mostly the other's name and how they acted so far. "Now, tell me your age."  
  
Merion didn't answer.  
  
"Answer the question." The man at the desk demanded in a raised, harsh voice. Hojo looked up at the boy, brown eyes looming over the rims of his glasses.  
  
"I . I'm not sure that you would believe me." Merion said quietly, as if being shy. Seeing the look in the other's eyes, he turned away, averting his gaze.  
  
Still staring, Hojo seemed to be getting irritated. Standing from where he sat, he plucked up his scalpel and made his way over to the cage. "Merion Alois Rybald. This is very important, so please answer the question. Even if you're self-conscious about your age, I assure you, no one else will know but me." Turning the scalpel gently, the light reflected off of it in what might be considered a threatening way, since the tone of the professor's voice was still harsh sounding.  
  
"I'm sorry," was all that Merion said, still trying to keep from looking at Hojo. It was only a fraction of a second later that a cold metallic object flew by, grazing his cheek. Whimpering, he looked to where the scalpel fell onto the floor, then up at Hojo.  
  
"Tell me your age!" The scientist screamed, he on his last nerve from the events of the day.  
  
"Two-thousand seven-hundred eighty-six." Silence.  
  
Ten minutes must have gone by, Hojo standing there near the cage, staring. He didn't know whether to laugh, shake his head and dismiss the childishness, or believe that it was a Demon.  
  
Hojo, you idiot, there are no such things as Demons. Shaking his head, he turned and went back to his desk, picking up his pen and notepad to continue writing notes. Merion stood up, remembering not that he had no clothing on, watching the black-haired scientist before him. Curiosity shone in those beautiful red eyes of his, wondering why he was in a cage, and why the other was asking him such questions and why . why he was nude.  
  
With another gasp, Merion sat down and folded his arms over his lap, hunched over. Hojo looked up at the caged one, as if wanting to know what the gasp was for. "Well, assuming that you lied about your age, I am going to ask you again. What is your age?"  
  
"I did not lie." Merion stated with a solid amount of stubbornness.  
  
"No one lives that long. How old are you?"  
  
"Two-thousand seven-hundred eighty-six."  
  
"DO NOT LIE!" Hojo stood up as he yelled, slamming his hands on the desk, murder gleaming in his eyes. The look surfaced a whimper from the boy, yet Hojo continued to glare.  
  
"I . I really was not lying." Merion stammered out as he backed away from the other. Hojo wrapped his hands around two bars of the cage, then with ease, he lifted it from the counter it sat upon and hurled it across the room. Merion let out a loud cry as the cage slammed against the wall, then he in turn slammed against the bars of the cage and the wall combined.  
  
Once the cage settled on the floor, and Merion silenced himself, Hojo spoke, coldly.  
  
"You're telling me that you're over two thousand years old, and someone was trying to convince me that you're a Demon. What kind of fool do you people think I am? What kind of game is this?!" He had picked up the scalpel and once again threw it at Merion, hoping that it would imbed itself in the other's face or neck . anything.  
  
Trying to dodge, Merion let out a sob of pain as he felt the sharp object penetrate the skin and muscle of his stomach near the Inguinal ligament. Continuing to cry, the boy looked down at the handle protruding from his hip area. "I-- I'm . s-sorry."  
  
"Bullshit! You're not sorry..! Don't even start with that." He paused, glaring. "If you were truly sorry, you wouldn't even be playing these games with me. You're wasting my time." He turned back to his desk, and picked up his notepad. "Oh, and aren't Demons supposed to be strong and relatively bright?" 


	3. Part Three: Scientific Bull Hockey

(Chapter 3.)  
  
With a sigh, Merion looked up at Hojo. Finally the other had given him some clothing, even though he knew soon he would be stripped and tested on--the man had said so himself. With a sigh, the red-eyed boy looked over at the scientist, crossing his legs at the knee. That lasted only a few moments though, since it sent a sharp sting of pain from the wound he had from the scalpel.  
  
"Don't move." The scientist hissed at the boy, not looking up from what he was writing.  
  
"Why not?" Merion cooed casually, which seemed to unnerve Hojo a bit. He had been somewhat cruel to him, and yet the boy seemed so calm.  
  
"You were moving the table." Stretching his arm out, he pressed it against the small of Merion's back rather hard, forcing him off the table. "Why are you even sitting?"  
  
"Didn't you tell me to?" Turning around to stare at Hojo, Merion tilted his head with curiosity. The man in the lab coat just continued writing, not paying a bit of attention to the one addressing him. "Didn't you tell me to?" He repeated, this time leaning down to speak in the other's ear.  
  
With a jump, Hojo smacked the other away from him, giving him a death glare. "I told you to sit, but not to sit on the table. The floor is good enough for you, or are you as spoiled as you've been acting?" "I'm not spoiled." Merion looked down, then sighed. "I'm sorry."  
  
Hojo grimaced, pushed his glasses back up, then he continued writing. After a long moment of standing there, Merion folded his arms together across Hojo's back and leaned over his shoulder, reading as the other wrote. It took a few moments, but the professor finally noticed.  
  
"Get off of me." He shifted. Merion almost fell forward from losing his balance, then stood up straight.  
  
"What are you writing about?" Walking beside Hojo, he pulled himself back up onto the table, careful not to irritate his wound.  
  
Hojo looked up at him, irked by the questions and the movement of the table. "I'm writing about you."  
  
"How sweet. What are you writing about me?" Leaning down some, Merion smiled at Hojo. "Scientific bull hockey?"  
  
I am not answering that. Hojo scoffed, looking back down at his work. Merion gently prodded his shoulder, then crossed his legs, ignoring the pain. "Professor?"  
  
"Hmmn?"  
  
"Why am I here?" The boy asked quietly, laying down and rolling onto his side to watch Hojo. "And where am I?"  
  
Hojo's honey brown gaze turned to the other, and stared. "You are in Nibelheim, and you are here because someone claims that you are a Demon, and they wanted me to run tests to see if you are one. I personally believe that they are full of shit, and that you are a human." With those words, he stood up and turned to leave his basement. "By the way, if you try to leave this place, I will hunt you down."  
  
The lights went out and a door opened. "Don't try anything stupid."  
  
"Uhm, alright." Merion sat up, staring at the silhouette in the doorway.  
  
"Good night."  
  
Darkness. 


	4. Part Four: The Dream

(Chapter 4.)  
  
Merion took in a deep breath, then he smiled. First snow of the season.  
  
Slowly, he began to make his way down to the pond in the front yard, wanting to watch as the water frosted over with snow. A nice flat plane of white was what it would be. The boy's red gaze shifted over the frozen lake, and with a smile he sat down upon one of the stone benches, which stood lightly dusted with snow.  
  
'It's beautiful out here.' Merion sighed out, looking up at the sky. 'If only I wasn't here alone.' Looking down, he kicked at a frozen clump of grass, wondering if it would break in any way. No, it hadn't.  
  
Merion stood, then walked over to the edge of the frozen lake, staring down at it. 'No reflection . good.' Without even testing to see how thick the ice was, the Demon boy stepped onto the surface. Then he took another step. Then another.  
  
He heard a crack.  
  
Looking down, Merion noted the fracture in the ice in the shape of a growing spider's web. 'Oh, well.' escaped his lips as he began to take another step. The ice broke.  
  
Before Merion could tell what was going on, he was half-sitting, half- laying on the ground by the lake, leaning against someone's chest. For a few moments, the boy took in what had happened, and how he got off the ice.  
  
The other had wrapped his arms around my waist, Merion figured, then quickly pulled me off. But why would he do so? Looking up, Merion saw glasses that seemed so familiar. The scientist? Deciding not to ask questions, he lay against the other, regaining his breath.  
  
He was still rather shocked at the fact that someone had been there at all, especially to help him. No one was ever around; no one ever wanted to help. Ever. With a sigh, Merion began to sit up, not realizing that the other's arms were around his waist, keeping him from doing so.  
  
'No . don't get up.' The other whispered, pulling the smaller one closer. 'Why were you on the ice?'  
  
'Why are you here?' Merion rivaled, looking back to the frozen lake, staring at the freshly created hole.  
  
'Why were you on the ice?' The man whom Merion supposed was the scientist asked again. One arm was removed from around the boy's waist, the other's thin fingers trailing through the soft raven lochs.  
  
'There's no point not to be.' He turned his head away, resisting the other's touch.  
  
'There is your life.' Though the other tried to escape his caress, the supposed professor tried again. 'Unless you don't value it.'  
  
Merion huffed. 'Let me go.' With that, he began to struggle, but the other's grip became firm and almost painful.  
  
'If you don't value it, why don't give it to me?' Slowly, a rather malicious grin spread over the scientist's face, his eyes seeming to glow with evil.  
  
'Just let me go!' Merion pleaded frantically, instinctively jamming his elbow into the other's ribcage. That caused the professor to tighten his grip even further, hurting Merion in the process, even if he did not mean to.  
  
'Don't resist. You don't value your life, so give it to me. What do you have to lose..?' Hojo took hold of the boy's long, soft hair. 'Whatever I could do with you, obviously can't be as bad as your life now, correct? You won't be alone.'  
  
The boy began to cry. Struggling seemed pointless now, and he didn't want to hurt the other. He knew the other in turn would just hurt him.  
  
'Shhh.' Hojo soothed the other. 'Why are you resisting? If you calm down, Merion Alois, I won't have to hurt you.'  
  
'Why are you doing this?' Merion cried out. He couldn't pull away, or the other would rip his hair out, and he couldn't hurt him, or the other would just tighten his grip; All he had left to resist was to cry and plead.  
  
'I'm doing this because you need to give your life to me!' Hojo cried out in return, but his was a cry of what could be considered joy, or even insanity. His grip tightened around Merion, and then his free hand found its way over the boy's mouth, grasping tightly so the other could not call for help.  
  
~  
  
Trying to thrash, Merion felt a pain as he came slamming down onto the floor. With a quiet whimper, he stood up and dusted himself off. "I fell asleep," he noted with disdain. "Which means I'm not back home."  
  
Sitting down in the chair Hojo had occupied the night before, he looked over at the door, awaiting the return of the scientist, fear now tainting those bloody orbs of his. 


	5. Part Five: Demon or Not?

(Chapter 5.)  
  
Merion was sitting in the same chair as he had most of the night and all day. Some woman was here, another scientist Merion figured, and she was with Hojo, doing some kind of test. They had taken blood from the supposed Demon earlier, and Merion was waiting for them to return.  
  
I don't see what the big deal is, Merion thought, even if I am a Demon, what is the point? He sighed quietly, then went to get up, but he heard a voice from the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" It was Hojo. Merion lolled his head to the side to give Hojo a flirtatious smile, wanting nothing but to bother him.  
  
"No where." He batted his eyelashes, then looked away. The grimace on the other man's face was nothing he wanted to see, and it reminded him so much of . . . of his dream. Merion's eyes closed, and he sighed.  
  
Hojo had just rolled his eyes, then looked down at the papers in his hand before walking over to the table Merion sat next to. Leaning against the table, Hojo stared down at the small boy over the rims of his glasses.  
  
It was silent for a while, and Merion was just staring at the papers, his eyes out of focus. He was thinking about his dream, ignoring the fact that the scientist was staring at him. Hojo slowly raised an eyebrow, then shifted his weight, causing the table to shake for a moment. Merion turned his gaze up to the other.  
  
"Where is the lady?" He asked, almost innocently. Hojo narrowed his eyes slightly, then shrugged.  
  
"She left about a half an hour ago. She walked through this room, didn't you notice?"  
  
"I must not have . . ." Merion let his shoulders roll into a shrug. "So, am I a Demon to you yet?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Hojo pushed himself away from the table, going over to find himself a chair.  
  
"The blood test." The small black-haired one reached out to gently finger and pick up the papers. "Does it show that I am a Demon?"  
  
Hojo looked over at the boy and let out a long, irritated sigh. He picked up a chair and walked over to the other, then set down and sat in the chair. Crossing his legs, ankle over the knee, he spoke in an irked tone. "They were inconclusive. You have a rare blood type, type AB. But, you do have an unidentifiable . . ." He paused, then pursed his lips together." . . . trait in your blood. A resistance of some sort to certain diseases I think it is. Or a mutation." He dismissed what he had said with the wave of his hand. "I don't even know why I'm wasting my time with you."  
  
"That's not nice." Merion said with a hint of sarcasm, giving him a sweet smile. Again, Hojo rolled his eyes.  
  
"I have other things I should be doing, instead of messing around with you."  
  
"You aren't messing around with me."  
  
" . . . You make it seem as if you want to be messing around with me."  
  
That comment shut Merion up. He looked away after closing his eyes, then sighed. There was a moment of silence as Hojo smiled at his small victory. Then, "Perhaps you're right."  
  
Hojo fell out of his chair. "What?"  
  
"I said that you might be right."  
  
" . . ." The lab coat donning man shook his head, then stood and dusted his 'arse' off. "I should have known you were queer." He turned away. Merion glared at the man.  
  
"And you aren't?"  
  
"No."  
  
Merion got up. His dream had been bothering him, the way he remembered that newly dubbed Dream Hojo had been holding him, how he had been speaking at first; He wanted to see if Hojo was like that. He walked over to the other, grabbed him by the shirt collar, and pulled him down. His soft, full lips came into contact with the scientist's, then they began to kiss deeply . . . 


	6. Part Six: I think the secret's out

(Chapter 6.)  
  
Hojo rolled over and sleepily smacked at his alarm clock until he finally hit the snooze button. He groaned slightly, then rolled over once more to wrap his arm around the form beside him. His eyes shot open.  
  
"What the fuck?!" Hojo sat up, staring down at the sleeping figure beside him. "Merion . . ." He sighed out, then brushed hair away from the boy's face.  
  
I am gay, he thought. I can't believe it. He probably just tempted me . . . but how could a male tempt me if I wasn't attracted to them?  
  
The scientist's thoughts were broken when he felt a small, cold hand place itself on his own. He blinked and looked down to see Merion awake, staring at him. Hojo smiled weakly, then Merion returned the gesture with a loving smile.  
  
"Good morning." The supposed Demon whispered, then snuggled back into the blankets. His eyes closed as he continued to smile. Hojo just stared down at him.  
  
I can't believe it.  
  
"Morning . . ." Hojo muttered, then swung his legs out of the bed and sat up. He was nude. Sighing, the man stood up and made his way to the bathroom, hearing a small giggle from the one still in the bed. "What the hell is your problem?"  
  
"It's just that you kept denying that you like men, even until we fell asleep last night." Merion sighed, then sat up in the bed. He at least had on a shirt of Hojo's, having been cold the night before. "And here you are, waking up in the morning with your arms around me, as if you found nothing wrong with it, and as if you like me . . ."  
  
The man in the bathroom dropped his toothbrush, then slammed the door shut, screaming, "I do not find you attractive at all! I do not like you!" Then he turned around quickly, slipping on the bathroom rug, and falling into the sink counter, screaming a profanity.  
  
It was silent for a few more moments, and then Merion spoke up.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Hojo?"  
  
Still, there was no answer.  
  
"Hojo, are you alright in there?" Merion got up out of the bed and slowly walked over to the bathroom. "Hojo?" He knocked on the door.  
  
It was silent for a few moments, and then the shower turned on. Merion sighed deeply, then shook his head. At least he's all right . . .  
  
~  
  
"Finally, you decide to show your face to the world." Merion smiled at Hojo, who was dressed and preened. "I made breakfast for you."  
  
"Why?" Hojo just stared from his place in the doorway, as if the thought of someone making themselves at home in his house was the most outrageous and ridiculous thing in the world.  
  
"I thought you might like to have something to eat, is all." The boy turned his crimson gaze up to the scientist, his eyes hopeful. Hojo sighed deeply, then walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. "Do you want any?"  
  
"Sure, sure . . ." Hojo muttered, shaking his head and shrugging. Why not? The boy would just complain if I refused it anyway . . .  
  
"Good!" Merion chirped, then prepared a plate of bacon and French toast. He was humming happily, now setting the plate down in front of Hojo, giving him silverware.  
  
" . . . I had no idea I had this food in my house." The scientist muttered. He picked up his fork and knife, beginning to eat. I hope he leaves me alone after this . . .  
  
"You didn't." Merion sat down beside the other, crossing his legs. He was still just wearing the shirt that was about four sizes too big for him. "I went out to the little store in the town."  
  
"You wore something other than that, right? And where did you get the money?"  
  
"Oh, of course. I wore pants, too. And I used your money, since you or whomever brought me here took my money." The boy shrugged half-heartedly.  
  
"Why don't you have the pants on now?" Hojo was still eating, since he decided that the meal was good. It was very good, actually.  
  
"I'm going to shower, then put the clothing back on . . . if you'll allow me to take a shower." He smiled, tilting his head to the side as his silky soft raven hair fell over his shoulders. Hojo stared at the boy for a while, studying those red eyes and the ebony hair . . .  
  
"Of course you can shower." He said, even surprising himself. Merion was supposed to be a test subject of his, so why was he acting so kind? Was it just because of what had happened the night before?  
  
"Thank you," he smiled. "I'll go take a shower after I clean up in here then."  
  
Hojo smiled. He liked this. Having someone there to make him breakfast, and to hug at night. It was nice, and rather calming to the scientist. He finished his meal, and when Merion went to pick up the soiled plate, Hojo took hold of his wrist long enough so Merion would pause, and the scientist stole that moment to give the smaller boy a peck on the cheek.  
  
He could get used to this . . . 


	7. Part Seven: Yay, it's getting near the e...

(Chapter 7.)  
  
A week had passed since Merion had first been thrown into Hojo's life, and Hojo was already used to the boy being there every moment of the day. The boy made him breakfast, dinner, sometimes lunch, he cleaned . . . it was nice. Hojo liked living this way. Especially since Merion would share the same bed with him . . .  
  
Hojo liked all of this, but he would never admit to it.  
  
Nor would he believe of Merion's species.  
  
"Why won't you believe me?" Merion would sometimes beg him to answer, trying to get the other to trust in his ancestry.  
  
He would always reply the same thing . . . "I don't believe that you are a Demon because that is bullshit." And once again, they were having this argument.  
  
"Please, Hojo." Merion sighed out. "Run more tests or something, please . . . I don't want you thinking I'm completely insane. I want you to trust me."  
  
"No, Meri." The scientist shook his head, turning back to his papers. "Leave it alone. Leave me alone. I'm busy right now."  
  
"But, Hojo--"  
  
"I said I was busy." The scientist turned his honey gaze up to Merion, his eyes cold. "Please leave me alone right now. I do not care if you think you are a Demon, but there are no such things. I don't think you're insane, but I'm beginning to think you're trying to drive me insane. Now please, go upstairs."  
  
Merion became flustered, then sad. He turned away and sighed. "Fine. I'm sorry." He then turned around completely, and froze.  
  
"Hello . . . " There was a man in the doorway blocking Merion's going up stairs. Hojo looked up, then stood, recognizing the man.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" The scientist hissed out.  
  
It was the Demon hunter, and he was holding a pistol. "I came here for my Demon."  
  
Merion blinked, then narrowed his eyes. "Your Demon?"  
  
"Yes . . ." Up went the pistol, the Demon hunter grinning at the small black-haired boy. He cocked back the hammer, aiming carefully.  
  
"What are you doing?!" Hojo demanded, looking angered. "Get the hell out of my house!"  
  
Then there was a quiet bang, and a thud.  
  
Merion fell to the floor, and everything went silent. 


	8. Part Eight: Blood is Good

(Chapter 8.)  
  
Everything seemed so quite, so still. Hojo's mouth was slightly ajar, and his honey brown eyes were staring down at the small form lying in the steadily growing pool of blood.  
  
My god, he thought, he's dead . . . I . . . he . . .  
  
Hojo felt his knees weaken, and his eyelids grow heavy. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. He knew it was just a dream. He was dreaming, and that was all . . . it had to be a dream.  
  
Everything had been so nice and peaceful for the past week or so. Nothing had gone wrong, and everything was going smoothly. And now . . . this. Merion was lying on the ground, in his blood, and that 'demon hunter' was standing in the doorway. It was just wrong. It couldn't be happening.  
  
Hojo let his eyelids close.  
  
"I told you," the stranger broke the silence. "I told you I would kill it. I don't need your proof anymore." His voice was cold, malicious. "It was a fucking Demon, and it was a threat. I got proof."  
  
"Proof?" Hojo clenched his teeth together, then slowly slid his hand over the table he had been at, his fingers searching for a blade, a gun, a scalpel, anything that could harm the trespasser. "Proof! That boy could barely give himself a paper cut without sobbing!" Success. His fingers wrapped themselves around the handle of a scalpel, and he grinned slowly. He wouldn't have anyone in his house killing people and getting away with it.  
  
"It was deceiving you." The man glared, holstering his gun. "It was a Demon, and it was a threat." He stepped forward, his heavy boots making thuds on the cold floor.  
  
"He wasn't a threat, and he wasn't deceiving me." The scientist began to pick the scalpel up off the table, but he stopped. The other was coming closer . . .  
  
"Yes it was." The Demon hunter stared at the other, moving over towards Merion's collapsed body.  
  
"DON'T YOU GO NEAR HIM!" Hojo screamed, voice shaky with rage. "You killed him, so what else do you need! Do you want his fucking heart! Get away from him!" He picked up the scalpel, then flung it at the other, continuing to scream.  
  
"YOU DON'T GET NEAR HIM! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE BEFORE I HAVE YOU ARRESTED!" He paused, lips pursing together in thought.  
  
"I need its bo--"  
  
"Shut up." The scientist glared furiously. "I won't call the police. I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill you, but I am going to make sure it is slow and most very painful. I don't care if I get arrested either." He grinned once more, yet his lips were still pursed together with anger.  
  
The Demon hunter, now slowly standing up (since he had leaned down to look at Merion's body), stared at the other. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off.  
  
"SHUT UP!" The black-haired man slammed a fist down upon the table, then pointed at the Demon hunter. "Get your fucking ass in that chair over there."  
  
"I do not see why you are acting this way. It was a Demon! It would have killed you!" The Demon hunter glared at the other man then leaned down, gathering up the bloodied body in his arms. "I need the body, and you are not stopping me."  
  
"PUT HIM DOWN!" Hojo glared once more, moving over to attempt to take Merion's body from the trespasser. The Demon hunter slung the limp body over one shoulder, knocking Hojo away with his free arm easily. "Let him go!"  
  
The hunter just simply stared down at Hojo with cold, unforgiving eyes, then turned away.  
  
"Please, don't take him away . . ." The scientist's voice was thick with desperation. He really wouldn't be able to go back to living alone after having Merion there to take care of him. "Please. Leave his body here. Please." He got up to his feet.  
  
Before leaving the room, the Demon hunter turned to stare at the man. "It is just a Demon; A creature who will do nothing but harm you, even if it leads you to believe otherwise. You are better off without it." And with those few words, the hunter turned away, slowly headed up to the stairs, Merion's head bobbing with the beat of the other's steps.  
  
Hojo just stared, his eyes wide.  
  
Another was being taken away . . .  
  
But . . . why . . . 


	9. Part Nine: Slit Wrists and Makou

(Chapter 9.)  
  
It was two weeks later, and Hojo's mansion in Nibelheim was getting horribly dusty on the inside. Hojo failed to clean anything, and all he did was stay in his basement, working on things involving the new experimental drug called Makou. He had completely given up on people, on everything except science and his studies. It just didn't seem fair to him that everyone was taken away.  
  
So he was done with people.  
  
He was done forever.  
  
Sighing, the man stood from his chair, then moved over to a desk across the room, where upon it sat a few jars and beakers. Gently, he ran his fingers around the rim of one of the beakers, staring down at the lightly glowing fluid inside it. Makou . . .  
  
"Hello." Hojo nearly jumped out of his skin, then turned to glare at the person in the doorway.  
  
"What are--what . . ." The scientist's mouth nearly dropped to the floor.  
  
"Surprised to see me?"  
  
"I . . . but, what? I though you were . . . how?" Hojo moved over to Merion, arms wrapping around the other in a tight hug, eyes shutting before tears could form. Merion smiled, nuzzling his face close against Hojo's neck.  
  
"How am I alive?" The smaller boy asked softly, curious about Hojo's confusion.  
  
"Yes. I saw you die . . . so how are you alive?" Hojo slid his hand through the other's silky soft hair, the heavy black lochs falling gracefully back against Merion's shoulders.  
  
"We keep trying to tell you." Merion smiled to himself, nuzzling once more.  
  
"No." Hojo let go of Merion, holding him at arm's distance by the shoulders. "You are not a Demon, Merion. Why do you keep trying to get me to believe that?"  
  
The boy just stared at him, and then after a few moments he looked away. He was silent for a little bit, then spoke softly. "If you don't want to believe it, then I am fine with that. But . . . I am one, Hojo. I . . . I'm sorry . . ."  
  
"Oh, Merion. Who was the one who told you that you were a Demon? What did they do to you?" The scientist went to pull Merion back into a hug, but the boy pulled away, eyes welling with tears.  
  
"Why don't you believe me?" He asked weakly. "Why don't you listen to me? I am a Demon! I am! Look. I'll prove it to you!" Merion dug through his pockets a moment, then pulled out a small knife. Hojo was staring at the smaller boy with a look of slight shock and confusion.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm going to prove to you that I am a Demon." Carefully, Merion placed the knife to his wrist, sliding the blade along the tender flesh. Hojo grabbed the knife away from the boy, then almost smacked him across the face, but he stopped himself.  
  
"What the hell? Merion!" He sighed harshly, then drug the other over to sit him down in a chair.  
  
"What?" Merion asked innocently, staring at the other.  
  
"Why did you cut yourself?" Hojo had his back to the other, in search of a bandage, or gauze pads, or anything that would bandage the wound and stop the bleeding.  
  
"To prove to you that I am a Demon."  
  
Hojo turned around, staring with confusion and slight anger. "How will cutting your wrists prove to me that you are a Demon?"  
  
"Well . . . it's just . . ." Merion sighed, then held up both arms, neither of which were bleeding. "See?" 


End file.
